‘Journalists faced more violence and obstacles in July’

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Main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) Eskişehir MP Utku Çakırözer, also a former journalist himself, has released his monthly report on the violations of press freedom in Turkey in July 2021.

The report of the MP has raised concerns about the escalating violence against journalists and the fines imposed by the Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK) on TV channels as well as the government's targeting of the media outlets that are receiving funds.

"We warn every month, but the obstacles and violence targeting journalists do not end," Çakırözer has said, adding, "In July, at least 18 journalists were subjected to violence, battered and prevented from reporting during news follow-up. Why? So that the truths would not be learned. What is done is to hinder the exercise of the right to get information and press freedom."

Penalties and detentions

Some highlights from the report are as follows:

Evrensel Newspaper's News Director Cem Şimşek was sentenced to 11 months, 20 days in prison for "insulting the President" due to the news regarding the comics drawn by German cartoonists in 2015.

While BirGün columnist Güvenç Dağüstün and Bursa 3. Göz website owner İrfan Aydın were detained due to their social media posts, Artı TV camera operator Nazım Fayık, Özgür Gelecek reporter Taylan Öztaş and Mezopotamya Agency (MA) reporter Enes Zengin were also detained. MA reporter Zeynep Durgut was summoned to depose over her news report.

Tekirdağ Şarköy Sub-Governor had a one-month restraining order issued against Nuri Çağlar, the owner of the Şarköy Haber Newspaper and a representative of the Demirören News Agency (DHA).

Violence for the same reason

Çakırözer has emphasized that the circular that was issued by the Directorate General of Security in April and banned the audio and video recording during demonstrations was once again used as a justification for hindering journalists during their news follow-up in July.

While three reporters were prevented from covering the Justice Watch kept for Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Kocali MP Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu in front of the Sincan Prison in Ankara, eight journalists who were reporting on the Suruç massacre commemoration in İstanbul's Kadıköy faced the rubber bullets, pepper gas and physical intervention of the police.

Most recently, the journalists covering the statement held in İstanbul following the massacre of a family of seven in Konya were attacked by a group with sticks. Some journalists were detained.

BirGün columnist Erk Acarer was subjected to an attack in front of his house in Berlin; he was threatened afterwards.

While Minister of Interior Süleyman Soylu filed a lawsuit against Cumhuriyet Newspaper and demanded 1 million Turkish Lira (TRY) in non-pecuniary damages, His adviser Burak Gültekin threatened Cumhuriyet columnist Barış Terkoğlu on social media due to his article.

Access blocks to news continued in July.

Fines by RTÜK

The RTÜK poured fines on TV channels in July as well. It considered the folk song "Cemo" to be a "propaganda for a terrorist organization" and suspended the broadcast of Halk TV three times and imposed an administrative fine on the channel over the song. While Tele 1 was faced with four different fines, FOX TV, KRT, TV100 and Bloomberg HT were also fined. (KÖ/SD)